K-beauty, K-food, K-dramas and K-pop, explained
Korean names put the family name first, and about 1 in 5 South Koreans is a Kim. Most names have 3 syllables, a one-syllable surname followed by a two-syllable given name, so in Son Heung-min (손흥민) the surname is Son and the given name is Heung-min.
The Korean game companies you need to know start with 4 names: Nexon, NCSoft, Krafton and Netmarble. Between them they make MapleStory, Lineage, PUBG and some of the most-played mobile games in Asia. A second tier (Smilegate, Pearl Abyss, Shift Up, Com2uS, Neowiz, Devsisters) gives you Lost Ark, Black Desert, Stellar Blade, Summoners War, Lies of P and Cookie Run.
Naver started as a search portal in 1999. KakaoTalk started as a free chat app in 2010. Today the two companies run the maps, taxis, payments, webtoons and messages that shape daily life in Korea, and they’re the main reason Google plays a smaller role there than almost anywhere else.
Modern hanbok is Korea’s 2-piece traditional dress recut for daily wear and easy-care fabrics. Koreans call the everyday version saenghwal hanbok (생활한복, literally “life hanbok”): the same jacket plus skirt or jacket plus trousers structure as the classic set, but with shorter hems, real waistbands, pockets and fabric that survives a washing machine.
A kpop lightstick does 2 jobs: it shows which group you love, and it makes you one pixel in the concert light show. Almost every group with an official fandom releases one. A stadium full of matching lights is the most visible proof a fandom exists, and the agency can control every one of those lights from the stage.
The 6 Korean street food snacks to try first are tteokbokki, odeng, hotteok, gyeran-ppang, bungeoppang and tornado potato. For the old-school versions go to Gwangjang Market. For the busy evening strip aimed at tourists, go to Myeongdong. And for the everyday version Koreans eat, stop at any pojangmacha (포장마차, a covered street stall) by a subway exit.
The best Korean horror movies to start with are Train to Busan (2016) and The Host (2006). Both are fast, emotional and easy to follow, so they teach you how Korean horror works before you get to the slow, strange classics like A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) and The Wailing (2016).
How to use Korean sheet mask packs: 5 steps and 15 to 20 minutes on clean, toned skin. Cleanse, swipe on toner, unfold the mask onto your face, wait, then peel it off and pat the leftover essence in before your moisturizer.
Can you visit North Korea? Yes, but only on a guided tour, usually with 2 state guides at your side. You can’t travel independently, you can’t pick where you sleep or who you talk to, and some passports, most notably American ones, are barred unless their government grants a special exception.
Korean grammar for beginners rests on 5 basics: verb-last word order, particles, verb endings, politeness and tense. Learn those and you can build a real sentence on day one, like 저는 커피를 마셔요 (jeoneun keopireul masyeoyo, “I drink coffee”). For English speakers the good news is that Korean grammar is very regular, so one rule usually covers hundreds of verbs.